PANAMA CITY BEACH — Sporting events have become a priority for tourism officials in Panama City Beach.

The Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recognized the impact sports brings to the destination Tuesday as members discussed the best way to utilize the more than $4 million the agency received as a final economic loss settlement with BP.

The discussion left the board in agreement that “sticks and bricks” projects would be a smart way to spend the money, with sports facility improvements slated at the top of the list.

Board member Yonnie Patronis suggested the board invest in more infrastructure projects like the improvements made to Aaron Bessant Park, which included the construction of a new amphitheater.

“I strongly want to suggest taking these funds and using them for similar purposes into the future to create some more infrastructure, some more brick-and-mortar type facilities to bring people here,” Patronis said. “I want to create something that is here to stay.”

Patronis said the baseball fields at Frank Brown Park have kept tourists coming to the destination even when the beaches aren’t pristine.

“I would like to stress that during the times of the oil spill, one of the few outlets that kept heads in beds was the ball fields,” he said. “The tournaments were scheduled and they still came, they still participated, they still played.”

Richard Sanders, vice president of sports marketing for the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), said the agency soon will have an updated feasibility study on area sports facilities that will help determine what is needed to maximize sporting events in the area.

TDC Director Dan Rowe said the agency also is conducting a concept study for an indoor sports complex.

“We are on the cusp of being able to do some very important activities, but we are committed to making sure it makes sense,” Rowe said.

Sanders said the destination draws tournament participants in an east/west market that spans from Ocala to Houston.

“I don’t care what’s happening in South Florida, because they’re going north and south,” Sanders said. “We know where we draw from and we’re good at drawing from those areas.”

Sanders said he has heard whispers of other areas in the region seeking to expand sports marketing opportunities.

“Right now we’re way ahead of them, but we’re almost getting to the time where we need to start acting,” Sanders said. “If something (is built) in our region, it’s going to have an effect on us.”

TDC Chairman Andy Phillips said Panama City Beach’s advantage comes from the destination’s ability to combine a world-class sporting event with a world-class vacation.

With construction costs and interest rates at an all-time low, Phillips said he did not want to wait too long to get projects moving.

“I don’t think this is something we can wait on two or three or four years,” he said. “We need to move this forward and make those decisions.”